Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) will fully comply with a request from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife to provide further information about the state's voter-approved gray wolf reintroduction program, in response to threats of a federal takeover of the three-year project to establish a resident wolf population in the Rocky Mountain state.
CPW Acting Director Lauren Clellan confirmed the move during the agency’s January 2026 Commission Meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, providing updates on recent developments that have complicated an already tense third round of gray wolf releases.
Clellan referred to a letter dated Dec. 18, addressed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Director Brian Nesvik to CPW, requesting the state submit a complete report of all gray wolf conservation and management activities from Dec. 12, 2023, when the first wave of wolves was released in the Rocky Mountains, to the present. The letter outlined two specific compliance inconsistencies in the agreement between the two agencies, specifically relating to the sourcing of wolves and the relocation of one wolf connected to a livestock kill.
If the report is not received by the 30-day deadline, USFWS stated that they will pursue legal alternatives, including a management takeover of all wolves in Colorado. This could include terminating the special permit, allowing the state to lead the reintroduction, a move that would allow the federal government to pursue relocation and lethal removal of wolves “as determined necessary", the letter stated.
“The letter is not intended to make a final determination on any future program outcomes, but rather to document the management actions taken from December 12, 2023, to the present,” Clellan said during the commission meeting. “The letter notes that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may take further action based on information provided later this month, but no immediate changes are identified.”
Clellan further clarified that CPW is currently working on providing the requested information by the Jan. 18 deadline, with the intention of avoiding the removal of the state’s authority to head the ongoing reintroduction effort.
“I want to reiterate that CPW has coordinated with US Fish and Wildlife throughout the gray wolf reintroduction effort and complied with all applicable federal and state laws, as well as international treaties,” Clellan said. “This includes translocations in January of 2025, which were planned and performed in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.”
The acting director also addressed the third wave of gray wolf releases scheduled for this winter in the southwest corner of the state, stating that “CPW continues to evaluate all options.”
The impending release has faced delays as recently updated federal guidelines state that wolves could only be sourced from Northern Rockies states where they are not listed as endangered, complicating a prior agreement to source the candids from British Columbia, which has since fallen through. The state has since been unable to secure a source population from other states or tribal nations.
“If we do not release wolves this season, the impact on restoration success from a biological perspective is dependent on several factors, including wolf survival and reproduction,” Clellan said, adding that the program has seen 10 mortalities out of the reintroduced 25 animals. “This is not far off from what is expected among wolves that do not live in a pack.”
Despite the fatalities, CPW has seen the establishment of several packs along with pups born this summer. While these are encouraging markers of success for reintroduction efforts, Clellan noted, “When populations are small, each individual becomes increasingly important.”
“Not knowing the mortality rate over the next year, it's going to be difficult to predict with certainty the overall impact of not completing a third year of translocations,” Clellan said. “If we have a high level of mortality, as we observed in 2025, we run a higher risk of not meeting the goal of establishing a self-sustaining population of wolves in Colorado, and having to spend more resources to do so.”
The state’s Colorado Wolf Management Plan recommends the state wildlife agency release 30 to 50 wolves over the course of three to five years. As of early 2026, the reintroduced wolf population is estimated to be just around 30 wolves.
Death of wolf 2504
CPW was alerted of the mortality of female gray wolf 2504 on Jan. 16. In a press release sent on Jan. 20, the agency confirmed the mortality took place in northwest Colorado
As a federally listed species under the Endangered Species Act, the USFWS is investigating this mortality.
A final determination of the cause of death will not be made until the investigation is completed, including the necropsy, a foundational component of the overall investigation process. 2504 was part of the group of wolves translocated to Colorado from British Columbia in January 2025.
No additional details were available at press time.
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